Grab the tortillas but hold the sour cream — Washington, D.C. is getting its first taco mile.
Organized by November Project DC, and in partnership with the D.C. Parks and Recreation Department, the Aug. 26 taco mile challenges runners to eat tacos before running a quarter mile. And then again. And then again… And then again. It’s an all-ages alternative to a beer mile, one that can be sanctioned on public property but still tests runners’ digestive discipline.
After dealing with injury, the 2017 Chicago Marathon was supposed to be Kathy Hoenig’s big return back to marathoning after a five-year hiatus. At mile 13, she felt awesome. At mile 14, she felt like death.
“I never thought I was never going to finish a marathon,” said Hoenig, of South Riding, Va. “But I didn’t think I was going to finish this race.”
Coach Herb Tolbert can’t go anywhere in Gaithersburg without someone calling out, “Hey, Coach!”
It’s a testament to his commitment to the community. A retired Gaithersburg High School guidance counselor and one of the school’s track and cross country coaches, Tolbert has been a pillar in the Montgomery County running scene for over 40 years. Still proud and enjoying what he does, Tolbert is nearing the point where he’s coaching his kids’ kids’ kids.
Runners have heard it thousands of times: They need carbohydrates and lots of them. It was common to see runners gobbling down bowls upon bowls of starchy pastas and eating tons of bananas.
But this and other conventional sports nutrition knowledge is being questioned as the scientific field of nutrition grows.
Cross country races are tough, guts-out, lung-ravaging affairs, and for most high schoolers, 5k is long enough.
As soon as runners cross a starting line, they have big ideas as to what their finishes will look like. It could be a fast time, a new personal best, an epic photo finish or the idea of hugging a loved one at the end. Whatever the motivators may be, they’re powerful.
But there are some runners who are unable to cross the finish line. Because of weather, injury, time cut-offs, poor training, mental blocks or other issues, some runners drop out and take a DNF, Did Not Finish.
Update: Richmond retired from running the Marine Corps Marathon before the 43rd race, set for Oct. 28, 2018.
While their peers may be slurping down ice cream cones or putting in hours at their part-time job, local high school runners are gearing up for the upcoming cross country season.
With little turnaround between the last school bell and the start of summer practices, athletes don’t have long to go before they lace up their shoes.
Women in D.C. are ditching their shirts for their runs: It’s not about looking cute or beating the heat; it’s about striking the conversation of body positivity and how empowering being a woman is.
“We want to change the mentality to recognize our accomplishments [as runners] and we do that through running in a sports bra,” said Lauren Masterson, co-founder of the running group #SportsBraSquadDC.
His team was welcoming, and Stammer took on the shortest legs–all under two miles. He wasn’t too concerned with his speed. It was Tom’s Run that helped him become a runner.